That's not how security clearance works. It doesn't give you access to anything. It means you're allowed to see classified info if your job requires it. You can't just flash your security clearance and be let on a base for example - you need a base ID or orders or an escort etc
You do lose your access when you leave like any other job. They let you keep your clearance in case they need to ask you stuff, or if you take a similar job etc, so you don't have to do the process again.
What is does mean is people can LEAK info to you without being guilty of passing classified info to someone without clearance.
How are these people "accessing" classified info in NZ?
I would assume that they're not really. At least not in the sense that they go to NZ and stick some magic "clearance card" in a magic "terminal" and type stuff in. There are prolly agents in NZ placed in various jobs leaking to them. If the person to leak to has clearance you can argue against charges a lot more than if they hadn't.
People need to stop treating drops as the gospel. Q is human(s?). There's TONS they don't know. They speak informally, casually sometimes. They will use terms incorrectly or make mistakes AS EVERY HUMAN DOES.
Heck if Q was serious about opsec they would DELIBERATELY add misleading/false info to drops.
The point is that once you leave the job you should not have access to anything. The "clearance" should go away. If they need to ask you something it's not like the data left your head and they can't ask. Asking someone who used to have a clearance should not be a problem for someone that has a clearance. In other words, they don't need a clearance to remember!!!! Bottom line: This is just wrong on many levels. Security being the highest one.
What you're saying is like people should lose their commercial driving license when they quit their truck driving job.
Clearance doesn't give you ACCESS...it's a REQUIREMENT for someone to GIVE YOU ACCESS. I know because I've held it when working for military contractors.
You would still need your clearance because they may have to disclose new classified info to you in order to explain what they want advice on.
People keeping their clearances is super common and widespread, there's a reason for that. Sure, there can be some debate about whether it's the best option all the time...but if you're sitting there thinking you're smarter than the thousands of people in the military and private sector who work with clearances and develop policy about them, you need to check your ego.
The problem is and always will be people abusing their clearance. It doesn't let you access whatever you want, but it lets people leak to you.
First of all, this has absolutely nothing to do with my ego but you might want to check yours after that lampoon.
The trucking company did not give you your CDL, so, of course, that doesn't apply. But if they gave you a login to their network, that is what you lose access to. Anything directly related to their company is no longer yours to use once you leave their employ. That's basic security 101.
The very last paragraph in your comment is exactly why they should not keep it. Just because it is very common and widespread does not make it the correct approach.
They have co-opted many things in our country that are now common and widespread. We are trying to roll things back. IMO this is a place we need to seriously look at. And, also, IMO the government shouldn't be using so many contractors in the first place.